How To Set & Achieve Your Goals

Since the 1st quarter is coming to a close. I thought it would be a good idea to revisit a concept that many people have probably lost sight of. The goals they set out for at the beginning of the year. I am going to share with you five tips that I use to set and achieve my personal goals. I also have a YouTube video to compliment this post. It is linked at the bottom.

Set A Goal

This is very simple but you would be surprised by how many people do not set goals for themselves. Now when you create your goals make sure that they are SMART goals.

SMART stands for,

Specific: Make sure that your goal is specific. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight" say "I want to lose 30 lbs" instead, don't be vague be specific.

Measurable: What are you going to use as a gauge to recognize your progress towards your goal? If it is to lose weight, how much weight do you plan on losing each week?

Attainable: Set a goal that is within reach. That if you work hard enough you can attain it.

Realistic: Do not set a goal that is so difficult that it is unlikely that you will achieve it. This will only discourage you, be realistic with what you can and cannot do.

Time Based: Hold yourself accountable for achieving this goal by a certain time frame. Whether it is six months or by the end of the year, have a date to work towards and look forward to.

Visual

I am a firm believer in "out of sight, out of mind." Keep a visual of your goals somewhere that you can see daily. I have a vision board on my dresser that is across from my bed in front of my mirror. That is the first thing I see when I wake up and it is the last thing I see going to bed. I like to keep photos of what I'm striving for in a place that I can see daily to remind myself of what I am working towards. If vision boards aren't your thing I know of many people who like to put inspirational quotes in an area that they see often. Also, I have friend who is striving to lose weight and bought an outfit at her ideal weight and has it hanging in her closet, so she sees it everyday and knows that is what she is working towards. Have something visual around that will help you keep your goal in mind.

Plan

Planning is crucial. There is a saying that goes "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." I am a huge planner, I like making plans, I like knowing what to expect and having something to look forward to. Plan everything out. If your goal is to start meal prepping then go online and do research on the containers. Start making a grocery list before you go to the store. How often are you going to meal prep? On what days are you going to meal prep? Do what you can to plan ahead of time to make it that much easier for you to reach your goal.

Act

There is no better time than the present, right? Most people put things off until "Tomorrow" don't be one of those people. Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Once I've set my mind to something I like taking immediate action. I like to do one thing towards whatever it is I have decided to do to immediately, to solidify that this is what I want and what I am going to start working towards. If you want to start working out then set an alarm for yourself or pick out your outfit and set it aside somewhere so you can just grab it and go. Any act towards your goal is progress.

Check In

Checking in often with your progress towards your goals is important. It allows you to see if you are making progress and or if not, why not? Is something not working out like you had planned? Do you need to make adjustments? I usually check in with myself once a week. You can check in with yourself once a week, every other week, and or once a month.

• paper
• pen
• Vision Board
• Photos
• Inspirational Quotes